Respecting Mother Nature<\/p>\n
It has been a tragic few days. Still reeling from a landslide
\nin Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesians on Monday afternoon had to
\ncome to grips with news of a major air crash in Medan, North
\nSumatra.<\/p>\n
We hope that both tragedies will continue to be accorded the
\nsame attention, without one overshadowing the other as is often
\nthe case when a \"bigger\" event comes along.<\/p>\n
While the tragedy in West Sumatra was more localized in
\nnature, it serves as a warning of the consequences of man's
\nheedlessness toward nature.<\/p>\n
Though the landslide was triggered by torrential rain that
\nbegan on Thursday afternoon and lasted through the next day,
\ndeforestation, and resulting erosion in the Gaung Hill area,
\ncontributed as much to the incident as the rain did.<\/p>\n
At least 17 people -- many of them infants and children --
\ndied when the hillside collapsed onto the remote village before
\ndaybreak on Friday.<\/p>\n
Ironically, according to locals, the area has a history of
\nlandslides. A decade ago a similar incident killed six people in
\na house that was swallowed up by falling mud and rocks.<\/p>\n
The tragedy reminds us of the massive garbage slide at the
\nLeuwigajah dump in Bandung, West Java, earlier this year, which
\nkilled 143 people.<\/p>\n
All of these events could have been avoided.<\/p>\n
It is mystifying how human beings can be so inconsiderate of
\nnature and think that their recklessness will not bring about
\ndisastrous consequences.<\/p>\n
The mountainous terrain in itself should provide ample
\nwarning that people who choose to live in the area must maintain
\na degree of vigilance. The advent of torrential rain should have
\ncautioned people of the dangers that might arise.<\/p>\n
We welcome the government's move to appropriate Rp 1.5 billion
\n(US$150,000) to relocate the remaining residents of Gaung
\nsubdistrict who may still be in peril from landslides. We hope
\nthat the money will be disbursed as expeditiously as possible, as
\npromised, and not be held up by unnecessary bureaucracy.<\/p>\n
We would urge residents of the area, and other locations prone to
\nlandslides, to seriously consider relocating before there is a
\nrepetition of Friday's tragedy. Local administrations can prove
\ntheir worth by facilitating and educating residents who live in
\nthese areas.<\/p>\n
Very often it does not involve a significant shift in location
\nor impact on the livelihoods of the families. A few hundred
\nmeters can make all the difference.<\/p>\n
Despite these precautionary measures, nothing can replace the
\nhuman act of acting responsibly toward the environment. Children
\nfrom a young age are taught in school that deforestation is been
\na major cause of landslides in the country. Yet, nothing ever
\nseems to be done.<\/p>\n
Deforestation not only causes erosion and landslides that
\ndisrupt people's lives, but also poses an even greater hazard as
\nevident from the massive forest fires that occur each year.<\/p>\n
Man has the right to exploit nature. He has been doing so
\nsince he first learned to walk erect, and will likely continue to
\ndo so for a long time to come.<\/p>\n
He does not need to learn how to manage his use of nature as
\nhe already knows how to do this. What is absent is discipline in
\nutilizing the natural environment in such a way as to not pose a
\ndanger to his own existence.<\/p>\n
Without such an awareness, we may steel ourselves for more
\nloss and tragedy.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/respecting-mother-nature-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}